In the store now:
http://monsterforge.storenvy.com/
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Return of The Ancients!!!!!
In the deepest parts of the Earth they wait...
The Ancients arrived ages ago from a dimension beyond our comprehension. They wait now-- hidden from all, plotting and planning, resting for the hour of their return.
Will you be ready for the return of The Ancients??????
In the store now:
http://monsterforge.storenvy.com/
The Ancients arrived ages ago from a dimension beyond our comprehension. They wait now-- hidden from all, plotting and planning, resting for the hour of their return.
Will you be ready for the return of The Ancients??????
In the store now:
http://monsterforge.storenvy.com/
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Behind enemy lines...
Just posted an auction for a new Clone Infiltrator Trooper figure I made today. Click the pic for more pics and information:
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Mixed-up Monsters!!!
A lesson about eBay and carefully researching the items up for bid:
I won an auction for a 7 inch tall "Bandai" Godzilla from Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. The only similar sized figure of the GMK Godzilla that Bandai put out in Japan was the 9 inch standard scale figure. It looks a little something like this:
That particular figure is pretty darn popular among Godzilla collectors. The fact that I won it for a lot less than it was currently worth tickled me pink. When I got the package in the mail today... I noticed it was a good bit smaller than I expected. I figured the guy was guestimating the size when he said 7 inches... he was. Turns out he was guestimating that it was made by Bandai as well.
This is what I got in the mail:
Turns out that this is the X-Plus rotocast GMK Godzilla figure.
It's not a bad Godzilla figure at all... as a matter of fact, it's a VERY nice figure. It's just not the one I had hoped I had won. I went back and looked at the auction and realize that the figure in the picture is the one I got in the mail... it just wasn't a very clear picture, and I was excited to find it at such a low, low price. Turns out I paid exactly what this figure usually runs for on clearance at most stores. So I'm not horrible disappointed... I'll eventually find the Godzilla figure I was looking for, but i hope this is a lesson to all those folks who are hunting for deals on eBay: know your stuff and assume the seller doesn't. I don't think the guy was intentionally trying to scam anyone. He didn't seem to be a Godzilla expert or anything, and he had a lot of other Godzilla figures for sale that were Bandai figures. I think he just assumed it was the same thing.
The figure is a nice, well-sculpted piece that looks JUST like the costume in the movie. The paint apps are extremely nice-- a LOT nicer than the paint apps on any of my Bandai figures. It's not so much a figure as it is a statuette... it has 1 point of articulation that isn't really a joint... he comes with his tail detached and the junction allows for a tiny bit of rotation. Overall a very nice addition to my shelf, and at the price i got him I can live quite comfortably with him. He fits right in with my smaller scale Godzilla figures.
A shot comparing him with the other 6 inch figures:
I'll still wind up giving the seller a positive, because he packaged it well and shipped it out as fast as humanly possible. I'm going to send him an email and let him know there was a mistake in the listing, though, because I know some collectors are not as easy to please as I am, and he could get damaging feedback in the future for similar mistakes. I know it was his responsibility as a seller to know what he was selling, but I just don't feel like he deserved a negative. I know what it's like being a seller.
So let this be a lesson... be aware of what you are bidding on and don't be afraid to ask questions!!! I usually do, but I let excitement get the best of me.
I won an auction for a 7 inch tall "Bandai" Godzilla from Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. The only similar sized figure of the GMK Godzilla that Bandai put out in Japan was the 9 inch standard scale figure. It looks a little something like this:
That particular figure is pretty darn popular among Godzilla collectors. The fact that I won it for a lot less than it was currently worth tickled me pink. When I got the package in the mail today... I noticed it was a good bit smaller than I expected. I figured the guy was guestimating the size when he said 7 inches... he was. Turns out he was guestimating that it was made by Bandai as well.
This is what I got in the mail:
Turns out that this is the X-Plus rotocast GMK Godzilla figure.
It's not a bad Godzilla figure at all... as a matter of fact, it's a VERY nice figure. It's just not the one I had hoped I had won. I went back and looked at the auction and realize that the figure in the picture is the one I got in the mail... it just wasn't a very clear picture, and I was excited to find it at such a low, low price. Turns out I paid exactly what this figure usually runs for on clearance at most stores. So I'm not horrible disappointed... I'll eventually find the Godzilla figure I was looking for, but i hope this is a lesson to all those folks who are hunting for deals on eBay: know your stuff and assume the seller doesn't. I don't think the guy was intentionally trying to scam anyone. He didn't seem to be a Godzilla expert or anything, and he had a lot of other Godzilla figures for sale that were Bandai figures. I think he just assumed it was the same thing.
The figure is a nice, well-sculpted piece that looks JUST like the costume in the movie. The paint apps are extremely nice-- a LOT nicer than the paint apps on any of my Bandai figures. It's not so much a figure as it is a statuette... it has 1 point of articulation that isn't really a joint... he comes with his tail detached and the junction allows for a tiny bit of rotation. Overall a very nice addition to my shelf, and at the price i got him I can live quite comfortably with him. He fits right in with my smaller scale Godzilla figures.
A shot comparing him with the other 6 inch figures:
I'll still wind up giving the seller a positive, because he packaged it well and shipped it out as fast as humanly possible. I'm going to send him an email and let him know there was a mistake in the listing, though, because I know some collectors are not as easy to please as I am, and he could get damaging feedback in the future for similar mistakes. I know it was his responsibility as a seller to know what he was selling, but I just don't feel like he deserved a negative. I know what it's like being a seller.
So let this be a lesson... be aware of what you are bidding on and don't be afraid to ask questions!!! I usually do, but I let excitement get the best of me.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Godzilla's big, "special" brother...
So I went to the mailbox today, and jammed into the box was a manilla envelope that was tied shut with a string.
A string. You heard me correctly: a string.
No adhesive on the flap.
Minimal padding inside the envelope.
Nothing but a badly beat-up envelope with something I have been waiting three weeks to get.
Let me backtrack a bit. Three weeks ago I found a seller on Ebay who was selling 8 inch (standard size) Godzilla figures. He had a lot of them, and they were CHEAP. That only means one thing: BOOTLEGS!!! I did some research and figured out that this was a rather common bootleg that has been popping up now and again from China. It is based on the Godzilla from Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, the movie where he has a rematch with Mechagodzilla and fights Mothra in the process. Great flick. Great Godzilla design. You can tell it's that specific one, because he has the scarred-up chest from his first battle with Mechagodzilla in Godzilla against Mechagodzilla. Anyway, I'm not really a stickler for things being authentic as long as they look pretty decent, and there's no way on earth I'm going to pass up a standard scale Godzilla toy for 13 bucks (with free shipping).
Flash forward to today. Manilla envelope. String. No padding.
I'm honestly lucky I got my figure.
On to the actual figure itself: It is.... FANTASTIC. The mold is the exact same as the Bandai mold, so it's a really good-looking figure. When I got it out of the package it was flat. Flat as a fritter. Evidently the package had been under some boxes during its trip here. I wasn't too worried, because I had heard horror stories about warped vinyl and how to fix it. I whipped out a hair dryer and within about 20 minutes I had a fully restored Godzilla. He was packed in three pieces: the main body and two tail sections. I had to heat those up as well to make them fit the body. The first thing I noticed after getting him was that he was really freakin heavy! He's made out of hard vinyl, which I was not expecting at all. It's rock-hard-- a lot more firm than anything I've ever had. I have an older authentic Godzilla from Japan, and he's pretty stiff, but this guy is like a hammer. It might be crappy vinyl, but I'm not overly concerned. That just makes him more dangerous!
He stands 8 inches tall and is 17.5 inches long from the tip of his nose to his tail. He's pretty darn impressive looking next to my 6 inch Godzilla figures.
He's articulated at the neck, the shoulders, the hips, and the tail. He has the standard side to side arm articulation that my friend Krakit likes to call, "Wiping the bar off." articulation! Hee hee!
The paint is just horrible. He's molded in a mint green colored vinyl and he has a VERY sloppy spray of Pepto-Bismal pink on his dorsal fins. His eyes are not as sloppy, but he has a bit of the Marty Feldman look going on. He has yellow teeth which are painted fairly well. His fingernails and toenails are sprayed bright white. He's so horribly cheap looking that I have to love him. I'll probably wind up painting him how I want him to look, but that's half the fun!
I love the figure, but I'm not very fond of how the packaging and shipping was handled.
I don't think I'll post the name of the seller on here, but if anyone wants to know who to avoid, ask me and I'll give it to you. The figure may be great, but it's a minor miracle I actually got it.
There are some more folks selling these bootlegs on Ebay in case anyone wanted to get one, as it's a very nice figure... with some work.
A string. You heard me correctly: a string.
No adhesive on the flap.
Minimal padding inside the envelope.
Nothing but a badly beat-up envelope with something I have been waiting three weeks to get.
Let me backtrack a bit. Three weeks ago I found a seller on Ebay who was selling 8 inch (standard size) Godzilla figures. He had a lot of them, and they were CHEAP. That only means one thing: BOOTLEGS!!! I did some research and figured out that this was a rather common bootleg that has been popping up now and again from China. It is based on the Godzilla from Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, the movie where he has a rematch with Mechagodzilla and fights Mothra in the process. Great flick. Great Godzilla design. You can tell it's that specific one, because he has the scarred-up chest from his first battle with Mechagodzilla in Godzilla against Mechagodzilla. Anyway, I'm not really a stickler for things being authentic as long as they look pretty decent, and there's no way on earth I'm going to pass up a standard scale Godzilla toy for 13 bucks (with free shipping).
Flash forward to today. Manilla envelope. String. No padding.
I'm honestly lucky I got my figure.
On to the actual figure itself: It is.... FANTASTIC. The mold is the exact same as the Bandai mold, so it's a really good-looking figure. When I got it out of the package it was flat. Flat as a fritter. Evidently the package had been under some boxes during its trip here. I wasn't too worried, because I had heard horror stories about warped vinyl and how to fix it. I whipped out a hair dryer and within about 20 minutes I had a fully restored Godzilla. He was packed in three pieces: the main body and two tail sections. I had to heat those up as well to make them fit the body. The first thing I noticed after getting him was that he was really freakin heavy! He's made out of hard vinyl, which I was not expecting at all. It's rock-hard-- a lot more firm than anything I've ever had. I have an older authentic Godzilla from Japan, and he's pretty stiff, but this guy is like a hammer. It might be crappy vinyl, but I'm not overly concerned. That just makes him more dangerous!
He stands 8 inches tall and is 17.5 inches long from the tip of his nose to his tail. He's pretty darn impressive looking next to my 6 inch Godzilla figures.
He's articulated at the neck, the shoulders, the hips, and the tail. He has the standard side to side arm articulation that my friend Krakit likes to call, "Wiping the bar off." articulation! Hee hee!
The paint is just horrible. He's molded in a mint green colored vinyl and he has a VERY sloppy spray of Pepto-Bismal pink on his dorsal fins. His eyes are not as sloppy, but he has a bit of the Marty Feldman look going on. He has yellow teeth which are painted fairly well. His fingernails and toenails are sprayed bright white. He's so horribly cheap looking that I have to love him. I'll probably wind up painting him how I want him to look, but that's half the fun!
I love the figure, but I'm not very fond of how the packaging and shipping was handled.
I don't think I'll post the name of the seller on here, but if anyone wants to know who to avoid, ask me and I'll give it to you. The figure may be great, but it's a minor miracle I actually got it.
There are some more folks selling these bootlegs on Ebay in case anyone wanted to get one, as it's a very nice figure... with some work.
What's up, Armodoc?
What is an Armodoc exactly? This is an Armodoc. It is the latest release from Matt Doughty's toy company Onell Design. It is a roughly 5-inch-tall, soft-vinyl action figure that was first released in limited quantities at this year's San Diego Comic Convention. The first run of these guys was something of a smash hit-- not surprisingly, as the fanbase for Onell's Glyos series grows more and more each day it seems. When Matt made the figures available for the internet crowd they sold out within an hour or so. I know, because I watched the thread on the October Toys Forum and wept bitter tears. I was, as usual, broke, so I couldn't get one of these wondrous beasties. Priced extremely affordably for a limited run vinyl collectable of this size, the Armodoc sells for $25. The inaugural run of the figure had a little extra surprise for the dedicated fans. I'm not sure if it will be included with the upcoming release, but it was packed in as an extra. At any rate-- the cost of the Armodoc is quite justified without it.
I got mine in a trade with a friend from the October Toys Forum-- a trade for something that followers of this blog will get a chance to see step by step as I work on it. I think it will serve as the biggest custom I have ever made to date. Keep watching this space for something... BIG.
Cute little goon isn't he? Matt always packs a ton of personality into each one of his creations, and this one is probably one of the coolest I have been lucky enough to obtain so far! He's a stocky cuss, and he is a smidge wider than he is tall! This guy is one chunky little dude!
The figure is made up of 11 individual interlinking pieces, and it offers a world of possibilities for building crazy junk. For some awesome stuff Matt has built with the Armodoc, check out his blog! That man never ceases to amaze me with the way his mind works. I'm lucky if I can snap two pieces together!
The figure has 10 points of swivel articulation, but most of the pieces are cut at an angle, so you get a wide range of movement from each. You can pose him all kind of ways, and he looks great in any pose.
Since this is one of the first release figures it came with a bonus extra figure. If you play the Passcode game that is on the Onell site, you will see this shadowy, ghost-like Pheyden appear briefly when an Armodoc is destroyed. According to Matt's story, the Armodoc is a creature or robot that is tasked with capturing every Pheyden in the multiverse. When it finds a Pheyden, it defeats him and absorbs him into itself. The result are these burnt out husks of Pheydens. Pretty darn cool extra, if I do say so myself!
As I mentioned before, the Armodoc figure is made of soft vinyl, so it is quite easy to take it apart and build with it. A standard Glyos figure fits nicely inside the chest of the figure, and I'm sure someone with enough skill could make a spaceship out of the body parts that a Glyos figure could drive.
One of the coolest things about the Armodoc is its compatability with the Glyos system parts. The sockets in the Armodoc fit the ball portion of the Gobon blaster like a glove! Once you discover this little tidbit, your building possibilities go up even more!!!
The Gobon is still my favorite Glyos figure, but the Armodoc is definately my second favorite! This is one cool-looking, chunky little guy! He looks good standing next to my Glyos figures, and he's super fun to goof around with. He's very, very, VERY well-made, and, as with all Onell products, he is quite durable and play-ready!
Keep an eye out on the Onell Design store, because the new wave of figures, including several new colorways of the Armodoc are coming VERY soon!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
He say you Brade Runnah!
Just finished up a new figure. Rick Deckard from Blade Runner:
Click the pic to see the auction and more pictures.
Click the pic to see the auction and more pictures.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
20 Steps to Improve Star Trek
I have yet to see the Star Trek movie that came out earlier this year. I guess I will when it hits DVD. I was going through some old text files tonight and ran across this conversation I had with Doug on AIM. I figured I'd share it:
Doug: I've got some ideas that'll change the star trek universe forever...
Me: oh?
Me: lemme guess.... better stories?
Doug: #1 How about don't put anything explosive in control panels
Me: ha ha ha ha ha
Doug: #2 Seatbelts
Me: ha ha ha ha
Doug: already, right there we've cut 3/4th of the deaths on the show
Me: #3: NO MORE RED SHIRTS
Doug: #4 If you going to war, wear armor. I know you're really proud of your pajamas and all, but this is the friggin future. You can carry more tech than a pin on you shirt and a fancy calculator
Doug: I mean it's good enough for the klingons right?
Me: #5 it's ok every once in a while for the aliens to not look like people
Doug: but not ok for the budget
Doug: they have to spend like 20 dollars for a make up guy for another hour
Doug: I mean thats crazy
Me: yup
Me: oh look.... i'm clearly an alien... i have a bump on my nose
Doug: #6 You have transporters...theres no need to go runnin the endless halls of your ship when someone isn't suppose to be there
Me: NO CRAP
Doug: #7 Again future, ever hear of automated defenses...I mean they have solid Holograms that can create and shoot guns and lasers, how about use those sometime
Me: #8 it's not necessary to sleep with everyone you meet if you are a captain
Doug: actually, I think that's in the contract
Me: maybe so
Doug: #9 enough with the time travel, we stopped friggin caring when kirk went to fetch whales
Me: #10 whales taste GREAT
Doug: we don't want to watch people in modern times, otherwise we'd be watching WB
Me: ugh
Me: no crap
Me: and NO ONE watches that
Doug: heheh
Doug: nope
Me: #11 MORE GORN
Doug: always
Me: and this time, for god's sake put him under a sun lamp so he can at least move a bit faster
Doug: #12 The Holodek...WILL BREAK
Doug: Historical figures will always turn evil and try to kill you
Me: excuse me... were you suggesting we should break Will Crusher?
Me: because that's a good suggestion
Me: or maybe you were suggesting that in the holodeck Will becomes mutated like the Hulk and breaks things saying "WILL BREAK!"
Me: either way... we're good with that
Doug: #13 You know, evasive manuevers should mean a little more than sitting in place and firing
Doug: #14 Its space, not all the ships you meet will be right side up, also space is in three dimensions, you can go around things
Me: #15 more borg, less ferangi
Doug: #16 We have guided missiles now, so why can't their torpedos do anything other than go in a straight line?
Me: #17 next time you find people frozen in an ancient ship.... LEAVE THEM FROZEN
Doug: #18 Stop naming every planet the same name as the people...humans, from humanlon, from the human home world
Me: ha ha ha
Me: yep
Me: #19 more half-nekkid green chicks
Doug: #20 Would someone for once go outside the ship and give it a new paint job when "repairs are underway?" since when can you fix everything about you car by messing with the radio control panel?
Doug: ok, thats it for me, all that from just having seen one episode.....
I think everyone will agree that Doug and I clearly should have been top choices for the creative team to make a better Trek movie. CLEARLY.
Doug: I've got some ideas that'll change the star trek universe forever...
Me: oh?
Me: lemme guess.... better stories?
Doug: #1 How about don't put anything explosive in control panels
Me: ha ha ha ha ha
Doug: #2 Seatbelts
Me: ha ha ha ha
Doug: already, right there we've cut 3/4th of the deaths on the show
Me: #3: NO MORE RED SHIRTS
Doug: #4 If you going to war, wear armor. I know you're really proud of your pajamas and all, but this is the friggin future. You can carry more tech than a pin on you shirt and a fancy calculator
Doug: I mean it's good enough for the klingons right?
Me: #5 it's ok every once in a while for the aliens to not look like people
Doug: but not ok for the budget
Doug: they have to spend like 20 dollars for a make up guy for another hour
Doug: I mean thats crazy
Me: yup
Me: oh look.... i'm clearly an alien... i have a bump on my nose
Doug: #6 You have transporters...theres no need to go runnin the endless halls of your ship when someone isn't suppose to be there
Me: NO CRAP
Doug: #7 Again future, ever hear of automated defenses...I mean they have solid Holograms that can create and shoot guns and lasers, how about use those sometime
Me: #8 it's not necessary to sleep with everyone you meet if you are a captain
Doug: actually, I think that's in the contract
Me: maybe so
Doug: #9 enough with the time travel, we stopped friggin caring when kirk went to fetch whales
Me: #10 whales taste GREAT
Doug: we don't want to watch people in modern times, otherwise we'd be watching WB
Me: ugh
Me: no crap
Me: and NO ONE watches that
Doug: heheh
Doug: nope
Me: #11 MORE GORN
Doug: always
Me: and this time, for god's sake put him under a sun lamp so he can at least move a bit faster
Doug: #12 The Holodek...WILL BREAK
Doug: Historical figures will always turn evil and try to kill you
Me: excuse me... were you suggesting we should break Will Crusher?
Me: because that's a good suggestion
Me: or maybe you were suggesting that in the holodeck Will becomes mutated like the Hulk and breaks things saying "WILL BREAK!"
Me: either way... we're good with that
Doug: #13 You know, evasive manuevers should mean a little more than sitting in place and firing
Doug: #14 Its space, not all the ships you meet will be right side up, also space is in three dimensions, you can go around things
Me: #15 more borg, less ferangi
Doug: #16 We have guided missiles now, so why can't their torpedos do anything other than go in a straight line?
Me: #17 next time you find people frozen in an ancient ship.... LEAVE THEM FROZEN
Doug: #18 Stop naming every planet the same name as the people...humans, from humanlon, from the human home world
Me: ha ha ha
Me: yep
Me: #19 more half-nekkid green chicks
Doug: #20 Would someone for once go outside the ship and give it a new paint job when "repairs are underway?" since when can you fix everything about you car by messing with the radio control panel?
Doug: ok, thats it for me, all that from just having seen one episode.....
I think everyone will agree that Doug and I clearly should have been top choices for the creative team to make a better Trek movie. CLEARLY.
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